Is violence declining?
Steven Pinker discusses the History of Violence, how violence is decreasing over many timescales, and some reasons why. The three contending theories?
I'll be interested to see if his next book moves into topics beyond language.
- The state's monopoly on violence and disinterested penalties for aggression eliminate the need for constant deterrence and vendettas on an individual basis.
- Violence is more common when life is perceived as cheap. As standards of living improve world wide, a higher value is placed on life.
- Non zero-sum games such as trade make others progressively more valuable alive than dead.
I'll be interested to see if his next book moves into topics beyond language.
via Arts & Letters Daily
